


ALLOT (of Aliases and Loyalty)

by foreverandaday_1



Series: A Long List of Titles - ALLOT [2]
Category: Black Widow (Movie 2020), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Book 1: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Budapest, Multi, SHIELD, Training, What Happened in Budapest (Marvel)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:08:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24491788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foreverandaday_1/pseuds/foreverandaday_1
Summary: Interlude OneNat joins S.H.I.E.L.D / what happened in Budapest
Relationships: Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov, Loki/Natasha Romanov
Series: A Long List of Titles - ALLOT [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1726654
Kudos: 23





	ALLOT (of Aliases and Loyalty)

10pm Local Time / Saturday 10th May 2003 / Budapest / Hungary

Cars beeped as rain battered down from the open heavens. The dampness snuck along gusts of harsh wind, clinging to passersby. There was a steady hum of society, a march of footsteps. Rubber tyres splashed muddy water onto middle class coats, and trickled back down to overflowing gutters. Rain. 

A single woman in the crowd, surveyed from rooftops.

She was carrying a black umbrella over her head, with her seemingly-dark hair braided tightly and tucked behind her head. Draped over her shoulders was what looked like a cloak. It was a black coat that flared out at the waist, overlaid by a cape-like piece of fabric that covered her arms again. She must have had some sort of voluminous skirt underneath, that reached out to her knees. Black translucent tights coated her long legs, down past black courts. She had no visible bag, but who knew what was under the cloak.

Taking a sudden left past a flickering street light, her heels clacked down the dark and deserted alleyway. 

It was darker and damper than the street outside. There was silence, except from the steady dripping of rain. It splashed into gutters, and trickled down out of the alley. The brick walls stretched high, reaching towards the clouds and boxing her in. It was a dead end. A few doors led to the buildings either side, but all were locked. The cobblestone underfoot was rough and uneven, withe lumps of crumbled stone here and there.

She turned her head, hand still deep in pockets, and listened intently. A scrambling of muffled footsteps and harsh breathing could be heard on the rooftops, as well as something metal. Not a gun, something long, thin and curved. It was accompanied by a steady tap-tap-tap of lighter metal somethings, also long and thin, but straighter with a point. She furrowed her eyebrow, straining past the limits of her hearing, twiddling a piece of wood in her pocket. After a few more seconds of concentration, she reached past the elastic bubble-like barrier, and could hear a steady humming buzz of electricity, like an earpiece or a radio. She disregarded that as unimportant and stretched further, not noticing the increase in rain. The drops of water seemed to slide off of her umbrella, and avoided her dry feet completely. Her eyes closed, hearing a thumping of a heartbeat, faint but there, and she stepped further into the shadows. Her ears followed the trickling of water, pulling her under legs attached to the building her follower resided on. She pulled back, and listened to the metallic clanking, it was fading, as if they were walking away. 

It was the fourth time this week.

…………………………………………………

Natalia had to go on a trip to Budapest, mainly to visit an old contact, but also to look for a particularly rare book there. Hades was now four, and had just started to learn about the world around him, alongside Dudley. They were both close, but still had other friends. Jemma and Jordan lived opposite Dudley; Anya’s mum worked with Petunia; Kai lived near Hades. Loki had been able to stay for nine days, to spend more time with Hades while Natalia was busy. Hopefully she could leave in time, but he still had his other family to stay with. She made sure to speak to him every morning using a two-way mirror she had found in the Black Vault, and had encountered no problems so far.

Apart from the arrow-man.

On her first day, Wednesday, Natalia had a weird feeling. Like a shiver down her spine that wouldn’t go away. She had hoped it didn’t mean someone was walking over her grave, as she didn’t feel like dying anytime soon. The rest of the day, and Thursday, passed in similar fashion. Natalia didn’t go to many places, only had dinner with her contact, and shopped on day two. The feeling trailed after her, like flaming hair in a breeze.

On day three, Friday, a man was getting a little too close to the entrance of Természetfeletti sikátor, and she could hear his footsteps. This was the shortest encounter, as he disappeared after ten minutes, before she could finally go into Természetfeletti sikátor. It was the only magical district in Hungary that sold any type of magic. Grey Magic was rare enough as it was, and usually only accompanied darker Magic. Her entire family used Grey Magic, so anything that belonged to the Romanov’s would only be in a Grey shop. After a few hours she had found the shop. (preternatural alley)

It was made of a smooth grey brick, with shining black window frames, and door frames. The glass was frosted, and had small leaf-like shapes spread across the surface. The door was made of glass, and had a black marble handle carved in the shape of a flower. Across the top of the shopfront, scrawled the word ‘Semlegesség’ in a swirling script. Natalia strode past a group of gossiping witches in expensive robes and opened the door. (neutrality)

Inside of the shop was smooth black wood, leather bound books, and glass cases of expensive artifacts. Against the back wall were framed tapestries written in Hungarian and Latin. Before this was a glossy black counter. It had two glass domes with shining silver objects. A tall man stood behind the counter.

He then spoke, ‘Ah hello, hogyan tudok segíteni?’ (how may I help you)

‘Van orosz faliszőnyeg?’ (do you have any Russian tapestries)

‘Valami konkrétat?’ (anything specific)’

‘Familiáris.’ (familial)

‘Megyek és megnézem,’ with that he walked through the back door. (i’ll go and have a look)

He came back with seven, each depicting a witch or wizard in pale blue robes. Two included a man with different coloured eyes, one ice-blue and one cat-yellow; another had a burning mansion with flakes of snow falling from the sky; the last four included mountains and lakes with huge buildings and fighting magical people, one even had a dragon. It looked like a Norweigan Ridgeback , but Natalia wasn’t sure. They all had the Romanov crest. It was a pale blue shield with two ivory and white gold swords crossed in the centre. There was white gold ivy swelling around the edges, and a large ivory R in the Centre.

After leaving the shop with all seven tapestries that would go in the Romanov vault, Natalia went back to her hotel. On the way back, her stalker resumed his aforementioned stalking. She had decided he was definitely carrying a bow and arrow, but the buzzing in his ears still confused her. She weaved through the streets, occasionally double back to go into shops and get some items. Yelena wanted a new scarf, and it was Dudley's birthday next month. Maybe an illustrated edition of Fantastic Beasts. Yes, that would do.

Anyway, it was the fourth day, Saturday, that he got closer. She was positive about the weapons now, but an earpiece in each ear? It just wasn’t logical. 

Day five was the day he made contact. Most shops were closed on a Sunday, so Natalia had gone for a walk before lunch. She had worn a royal blue sundress, with wedge heels, a basket-weave handbag and a white shawl. It was warm for May, and she hoped it wouldn’t rain like the day before. It was still damp.

After finding a bench near some trees for some much needed shade from a particularly and glaring sun, he sat down next to her. She knew his walk, and the slight eyebrow twitch to recognize him. The faint buzzing was present, but she couldn’t see anything in his ear.

‘Jó reggelt, ügynök.’ (good morning, agent)

Natalia turned her head to look at a man in his late twenties, with sandy and spiky hair. He had stubble across his strong, wide jaw, and a slight dusting of freckles under his eyes. His face was serious, and mostly expressionless but not vacant, rather like a polite disinterest or barely-concealed boredom.

‘Jó reggelt, íjász.’ (good morning, archer)

His eyebrow raised as he switched to English, ‘archer?’

‘I could tell you were following me, anything in particular?’

‘Straight to the point, I was expecting you to be more,’ he thought for a moment, ‘difficult.’

It was Natalia’s turn to raise an eyebrow.

He huffed. 

‘As I said, any reason to be stalking me while carrying a bow and arrow?’

‘My boss thinks you’re dangerous, too dangerous for society.’

‘Ooh, an assassin and a kill order, haven’t been targeted for a while.’

‘Well, you don’t seem to have much bite.’

She smirked, and purred the next sentence, ‘only if you ask very nicely.’

‘You’re a red room agent, he doesn’t want you strolling around.’

‘Loitering? I left that place a long time ago.’

‘When? You’re supposed to be nineteen, and even then you look more like you’re in your twenties.’

‘When I was sixteen, a few months after graduation, ‘ she rolled her eyes, ‘and I do look older, always have.’

He nodded.

‘You going to kill me then arrow-man?’

‘How about a job offer?’

‘A question with a question? What sort of job?’

‘I work for S.H.I.E.L.D, I presume you know what that is?’

Her face gave the answer of ‘Realy? How could I not.’

‘You can join us, train and work with us. You’ll have to be assessed and put on parole for a few months as you style in. I really don’t want to kill you, and my boss’ll lose his shit if I don't bring some form of a completed mission report back. I’ll even give you some time to think about it, meet me here tomorrow afternoon, at two.’ He then stood up and walked away.

…………………………………………………..

How did Natalia get on S.H.I.E.L.D’s raidar? They dealt with American and extraterrestrial stuff, like if Loki got caught on earth. She huffed a laugh. Maybe they came across some red room files? No they would be more suspicious of her lack of ageing. What about her Natasha Romanoff alias? It was linked to the red room, but was used in America. She did enquire about the whereabouts of the tesseract, and that was on S.H.I.E.L.D’s spectrum of dealings. That’ll be it. Drawn in by an anglicised name looking for alien tech, and hooked by the links to the red room. Department X did have attempts at the super-soldier-serum, or SSS as Natalia usually referred to it. Her whole family was given a form of it, and Alexei was considered Russia’s version of Captain America. 

Would working for S.H.I.E.L.D be the right choice? Natalia could easily disappear and just obliviate arrow-man to make him think he didn’t find her. She was a witch, and the magical world had been staying away from non-magicals for centuries. Not as if it’s difficult. Although S.H.I.E.L.D were getting closer to magic, as they had discovered the ‘mutant gene’, or at least their associates have. 

It was actually the magical gene, only there were five ways it could develop. Non-magicals could have talents at things that were fueled by magic, but they couldn’t actually use it. 

The second way was if a non-magical, or squib, went through trauma. It usually happened during teenage years, and was the most common basis of the X gene. Everyone is different, because their magic chooses the best way to deal with that trauma and help it’s ‘host’. Yes, magic is technically a parasite. 

A squib, the third type, could have enough magic to do one or two basic spells, but not enough to actually go to a school and learn. 

Magicals had a full core, and enough magic to use it every day, and a lot more of it. They could use their magic more like second nature.

Obscurials developed their core earlier than magicals, meaning they overflowed and the magic was uncontrollable. The magic takes over the person, and uses them as a ‘host’. People with creature DNA, whether born or infected, had another part of the gene changed, giving them new magic. 

The SSS unlocked the magical gene, a mix of trauma and the parasitical nature of magic. Steve Rogers just happened to have the X gene, and it was triggered to make him stronger. Natalia’s magic was at the level of a squib when she was a child, but the serum she was given made it a lot stronger, almost as much as a magical could have. It also gave her similar, but lessened, effects of the SSS, meaning she doesn’t age much, and it gave her more awareness of her body. This meant Natalia could focus all of her magic on one sense, like hearing, and ignore the rest.

……………………………………………………

After speaking to Melina the next morning, Natalia decided that S.H.I.E.L.D would be a great resource to use. She could get a proper job, and a proper alias to use in America. It also meant another agency wouldn’t be chasing after her. The only problem was, she might be found out. A few squibs might work for S.H.I.E.L.D, and they obviously help the government, so some magicals might visit. She’d have to speak to the MACUSA, and get a licenced reusable portkey, as well as a licence to do magic. International travel was always difficult, especially when working with two very different governments, with very different thoughts on non-magicals.

She’d also made sure to speak to Hades and say she would be gone for another week, but could locate a time-turner and hopefully make it back for at least an hour. It took a lot of planning, and a few difficult international apparitions, but she managed.

Oh well, what's a reward without a bit of effort?

……………………………………………………

Clint Barton was... unsure to say the least. Romanoff seemed a little too calm for the situation she was in, doing mercenary work for money. Especially as her last employer had tried to double cross her, keep the money and kill her. He huffed. She didn’t look nineteen either. He could count out her more mature attitude, and the haunted look in her eyes for a long and hard life under the KGB. But her physical age? Make up could only go so far, and no agency aged their soldiers. Romanoff could’ve been given a variant of the SSS, but it was last used in the late ‘60s. Unless some was stored? It was the KGB, and Department X, almost as bad as what Hydra was, back in the 40s.

Barton thought for a while longer, until his guest came and sat down next to him.

‘Hello, Arrow-man.’

‘Ms. Romanoff.’

Her lips twitched upwards, finding something amusing, ‘do I get a name?’

‘Are you joining S.H.I.E.L.D?’ he countered.

‘I suppose so.’

‘Clint Barton,’ he stuck his hand out.

‘Hmm,’ she shook his hand lightly before drawing it back, ‘Natasha Romanoff, but I’m sure you already knew that.’

He nodded. ‘So, my boss, and the Director, want to meet you. We have some transport a few streets away to get to the airport, and then a plane to get us to headquarters. As I said yesterday, a few checks, like medical and mental, as well as tests will need to be carried out. Then we’ll place you in the right level, and start standard training. If you’re lucky you can train with me.’ He stood up, Nat following after.

‘Sounds fun,’ she said with a twinge of sarcasm. He chuckled.

……………………………………………………….

NATASHA ROMANOFF

GENDER: female  
BORN: 22/11/84  
NATIONALITY: russian

AGE ON RECRUITMENT: 19  
DATE OF RECRUITMENT: 11/5/03

MEDICAL CONDITIONS: n/a  
SPECIAL ABILITIES: slightly stronger / healing / possible variant of SSS

CLEARANCE: level 6  
TEAM: STRIKE team - delta / in process  
TRAINING STAGE: 14  
HANDLER: P.J.C / Agent Coulson

NEXT -  
FULL MEDICAL: 22/5/04  
PHYSICAL:16/8/03  
MENTAL:13/6/03  
ALLOTTED TIME OFF: 20/11/03  
UNTIL: 5/1/04

ALLERGIES: strong anesthesia  
MENTAL STATE: PTSD / social anxiety / low level insomnia  
TREATMENTS: n/a  
NEXT TREATMENT: n/a

CLEARED FOR -  
ACTIVE DUTY: yes  
DATE: 16/5/03  
TRAINING: yes  
DATE: 14/5/03  
REGIONAL MISSIONS: no  
DATE: n/a  
NATIONAL MISSIONS: no  
DATE: n/a  
INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS: no  
DATE: n/a

DATE UPDATED: 16/5/03  
NEXT ANNUAL UPDATE: 20/5/04

SIGNED: 

D. Fury

………………………………………………………..

SCHEDULE

MONDAY:

0800-BREAKFAST  
1000-TRAINING  
1200-LUNCH  
1300-OPTIONAL TRAINING  
1400-TRAINING  
1600-FREE TIME / TIME TURNER - 0900  
1700-FREE TIME / OPTIONAL TRAINING  
1800-DINNER

TUESDAY:

0700-BREAKFAST  
0900-TRAINING  
1100-FREE TIME  
1200-LUNCH  
1300-FREE TIME / TIME TURNER - 1000  
1400-OUTDOORS  
1600-TRAINING  
1800-DINNER  
1900-HANDLER MEETING

WEDNESDAY:

0700-BREAKFAST  
1000-TRAINING  
1200-LUNCH  
1300-DIRECTOR MEETING  
1400-FREE TIME / TIME TURNER - 1100  
1500-TEAM TRAINING  
1600-TEAM MEETING  
1700-TEAM TRAINING  
1800-DINNER

THURSDAY:

0700-BREAKFAST  
0900-MENTAL APPOINTMENT  
1000-FREE TIME  
1100-TEAM TRAINING  
1200-LUNCH  
1300-TEAM TRAINING  
1500-HANDLER MEETING  
1600-FREE TIME / TIME TURNER - 1200  
1700-EARLY DINNER  
1800-REGULAR DINNER  
1900-OPTIONAL TRAINING

FRIDAY:

0700-BREAKFAST  
1000-TRAINING  
1200-LUNCH  
1300-TEAM TRAINING  
1400-FREE TIME  
1700-TEAM TRAINING  
1800-DINNER  
1900-FREE TIME / TIME TURNER - 1400

SATURDAY:

0700-BREAKFAST  
1200-DINNER  
1300-TRAINING  
1500-FREE TIME / OPTIONAL TRAINING / TIME TURNER - 0900  
1800-DINNER  
1900-BI-WEEKLY LEVEL6 MEETING

SUNDAY:

0700-BREAKFAST  
1200-DINNER  
1300-FREE TIME  
1700-NEW RECRUIT MEETING  
1800-DINNER

…………………………………………….


End file.
